Separation Due to Beliefs, Not Personality

At first glance, Amish Country seems like a rural area filled with serious people that live a strict and different life from the rest of the people surrounding them. During the trip to Amish Country, I learned that this stereotype or image of the Amish is not true.

When we stayed with the Millers, I was shocked at how easy going they were because due to the stereotypes created about the Amish, I expected them to be more strict and serious. In fact, rather than the experience of staying with them being awkward, it seemed like staying with any other family you may not know very well. Also, while many people believe that families are not as close knit as they used to be, the Amish show that families can remain that close knit through respect and communication. While we were in Amish Country, we were able to talk to Amish girls our age, which I found interesting because they act and think similarly to us.

This whole experience taught me that no matter your beliefs or the culture you grow up in, your own life is not much different than someone else’s life that grew up differently than you. I realized that the Amish do not live that different from the non-Amish and they still like to have fun despite being known as very strict. Overall, this experience taught me just how similarly the Amish live while staying true to their beliefs and culture, which is truly impressive in this day and age. So, although in the beginning Amish Country looked like a rural area filled with serious and strict people, I learned through this trip, that the Amish are inherently the same as anyone else despite a difference in beliefs from the society surrounding them.